Process and apparatus for enriching gas or air with



Eh H Cov-EL ZSheets-SheeilQ PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR ENRICI-IING GAS ORAIR WITH A DEFINITE AND REGULATED PERCENTAGE 0F HYDROCARBON VAPOR.

No.169,4z3. Patented Nov.z,1=a75.

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NPETEHS, PHoIv-LITHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D c:v

A Y E H @WEL l v.z sheetsfsheetz. Pno'cEsSlANn 'AFPARA E ENRICHING GAS oEAIE WITH A DEEINITE AN E ATED PERCENTAGE 0E HYDRocARBoN'vAPoE.

No.169, 423 Patented Nov. 2, 1875.

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UNITED STATEsi PATEWE.

Y n. HALL oovEL, or New YORK, N. Y.

.IMPROVEMENT IN PROCESSES AND APPARATUS FOR ENRICHING GAS 0R AIR WITH A DEFINITE ANI)l REGULATED PERCENTAGE 0F HYDROCARBON VAPORl Y Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. [69.423, dated November 1875 application filed June 7, 1875. l

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD HALL-GOVEL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Process and Apparatus for Enriching Gas .or Air with a Deiinite and Regulated Percenttained, thereby causing a uniform carbonization, or nearly so, to the gas or air passing `the machine, and utilizing all of the hydrocarbon. The gas or air, after leaving the ro tary chamber, passes through another chamber, 4which may be used as a mixer or carbonizer at pleasure. The degree of carbonization may be regulated at the will of the operator, by means of an adjustable valve, which, in its different positions, will cause the Whole, or only a part, of the gas or air passing through the machine to pass through the rotating carbonizing-chamber.

The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the rotating chamber. Fig. 3 is a central tranverse sectional elevation of the rotating chamber.

The rotating chamber A is a cylindrical vessel, builtV of sheet metal, except possibly On each of its ends, and concentric with the cylinder, is a hollow trunnion, A1, which rests on the timbering or other fixed supports A2. One or more levers, B, are secured to either or both ends of the cylinder, for the purpose of turning it over a half a revolution on its trunnions. The vessel A is built of two half-cylinders, as

shown in Fig. 3, each half-cylinder having an externally-projecting ange, a, by means of which the two semi-cylinders are bolted to-k gether. Screw-bolts should be used for this purpose, as it `may be necessary to take the vessel apart at intervals for the purpose of cleaning or repairs. Between the two anges a as above described, there may be introduced the edges of the diaphragm A3, which divides the chamber A -into two equal, or nearly equal, compartments. The bolt, which holds the two flanges a together, will also pass through the diaphragm and hold it in position. The diaphragm A3 is divided. into two parts inthe center of the vessel, so as to form a small cylinder concentric with the vessel A, and through the center of the cylinder thus formed the regulating gas or air pipe C will be placed so as to leave an annular opening between the pipe and the cylindrical part of the diaphragm, as shown in Figs. l and 3. rI'he ends of the gas-pipes C are joined with the ends or heads of the cylinder A 5 andopen ports c in the sides of the said pipe, just inside ofthe front head a', permit the incoming gas to pass into the chamber A as required, and the gas so passed into the carburetingchamber returns to the pipe C again through the open ports c', which arelocated at the other end of the chamber A, just inside ofthe head a2. The diaphragm A3 is to be iinel y perforated throughout its entire extent within the chamber A, both in its at and in its cylindrical part. The induction gas-pipe D is connected with the hollow trunnion on the front end' of the cylinder A by means of the staffing-box a3, and the connecting gaspipe Dl is attached to the other end of the rotary carbonizer by the stuffing-box a4. By this arran gementthe gas to be carbonized may be conducted into and out of the rotary carbonizer without leakage, and the chamber A be at the same time left free to turn on its axis. Whether the chamber A s allowed to make a complete rotation around its axis, or only a semi-rotation or rocking motion, is entirely immaterial, and will depend upon the arrangement of the lever B, which may permit a Whole rotation or not.,

At the front end of the machine is a valve, O1', which is arranged to close the front end of the pipe C, on which the said valve is seated, as shown in Fig. l. This valve'may be opened or closed, or adjusted to suit, by means of the valve-rod C, and the operating wheel` C3, which Wheel is in an accessible position out ,P appear in the description` ot' the process;

' pipe C, andv also tothe cylindrical. sides of A, -eXcept in lthe small portfspaces a.y (Shown in Figs. l and 3.)

The spaces a7, between the diaphragms a5 and the ends of the chamber A, are sufficiently large to accommodate the flow ofv gas through the machine', and are in open communication with the ports o c ofthe pipe C. `Within eachv of the compartments of A is placed a frame-work, E, as shown in -hfifgs l and 3, and between the ribs of this frame-work'are'stretched wires, cord-s', oroth'er suitable appliances, as represented by E in Fifg. 3. .Ih'e object of these obstructions will The connectien'pipe'D1 connects the cylinder A with a secondary chamber, F, which is divided into three' compartments, F1 F-2 F3, by the perforated diaphragms f f1. The' pipe D1 leads into F1, the lowest of these compartments, a short d'istal'rcel below the lower diap'l'lalgllf, .and al Sufficient d'lSta'IlCe atbO'VelJlJoV bottom of F to form a basinffor'thccirippings,

Whichm'ay'vb'ef drawn off through the wastecockf.v The' middle compartment,- F2, is'l partially frlled with branchesl of tree'sf7 sha'vinlgs, or" some other suitable'materi'al', for stripping off from thefgas any globules of uuid orl impurities that it may' have carried mechanical- 1y with it from'A A, and this material will also act a's a mixer to' give irniformity to the'gasi produced. They upper compartment-,1 F3, isl us'edf a reservoir to hold a'h'ydrocarbon liquid,y to add toiA th'ecarboniz'ation in case the` carb'fmiz''aL-tion" in A should at'times'lprovein suflicient. The @duction-pipe D2' leads out from the upper p'artlof the chamber' F2', 'an-'dl l conveys the'carbonizedr gas tothe holder direct', or" first through av heated retort, and'. thencethrough an ordinary gas purifier and condenser tof the holder, so as to render the gas perman-enti; Orthehe'ated retort maybe omitted, and also thev holder, and the gas passed directly' tor the burners, as" may be; found'- most desirabler The nIa';n'-ho1eplugs-a,8

The apparatus constructed as above described, the process islas follow's: A sufficientv quantity of fluidi hydrocarbon (the quantity Varying, ot course', with the'. size of they ma-y chine, but usually several barrels) will be put' in the chamber A,.through its manhole-a8,

and thefiiuid so introducedV will pass through the perforationsot the diaphragm in the dii-y rection of the' arrows lo, and' will fall: into: the

^ lower nali' of cylinder A in anne snowenthis operationbeinfg continueduntil all of theilrlid-E l shall navepassedbelow the` diaphragm, and then the cylinder willI be given a hahl revolu-v tion by means ofthe lever B, when the fluid will again passthrough the' diaphragm, asbefore, and so on. This operation of turning the cylinder will be repeated throughout the process, until the fluid shall have all been used up.

In turning the cylinder over, a small quantity of the iiuid will run down between the i transverse diaphragmsa5 and the end of the rcyliuder, and through the open ports c c of `the pipe Cinto the lower compartment, but

not a quantity of any importance.

By the alternate filling of both the top and bottomk parts of each of the compartments of A, as above described, all of the obstructions E will, at intervals, become submerged in the iiuid, and thoroughly saturated with the heavier parts of the hydrocarbon, and by the alternate illing of each of the compartments, as described, all ot the light and heavy parts of the hydrocarbon will' be subject to simultaneous combination with the gas passing through the machine, and there will, therefore, be no waste or residuum.

The hydrocarbon being placed in AA and agitated, as above described, the air, hydrogen, or other gas to be carbureted, will be turned on through the pipe D, in the direction of the arrows g. `The gas will pass through the ports c, thence through the passages c7 yand the openings c6 at sidesof diaphragm a5, and thence through both of the chambers of A, until the lower opening a shall have b'ecorne sealed by the fluid rising to the edgel of thediaphragmuf, after which it will only pass through the upper compartment, untilthe machine shall have been again tu'rned over. Ai'- ter passing through the compartments of A, the gas-currents g will pass through the openings as, passages a7, and open ports o" at the 'back end of the machine, and so on into the pip'evDl, and thence to thel chamber F1 of the secondary apparatus. The' gas will pass from the compartment F1, in the d f'irecti'on of the currents g, up through the perforations of diaphragm f, and through the obstructionsof chamber F2, and out of said chamber through pipe D2, which will conduct it to theX-ingretorts, holders, or burners, in the usual manner.

In passing through the chambers of A, the air or gas will take up from the shower through which it passes, and from contact with the saturated obstructions or channels of E', the atoms' of the hydrocarbon, and thereby becom'e-carbonized to a high degree.

In order to regulate the amount of carbonization, I introduce the gas-regulating pipe C,

which' wil1,on the opening of the valve C1, admit the uncarbureted air or gas i-n a current,

\ represented by the arrows g. This uncarbureted current g will mingle with the carburetedl current g in the pipe Dl and chamber F1, where the different gases will blend' together andpass on into the chamber F2, which will actas a mixer, and the gases.v so combined may easily be renderedI of a uniform quality,

and of any photometric standard required, by simply adjusting the valve C1, as may be desired from time to time.

In passing through the obstructions in the chamber F2, the gas will be stripped of any globules of iiuid or mechanical impurities that it may have become charged with in passing through A, and these uid strippings will fall into the bottom of the chamber F1, whence they may be drawn off through the cockfz.

In case the carbonization in the chamber A should not at any time be sufficient, the auxiliary chamber F3 is provided, which, when used, will be filled with a duid hydrocarbon, which will pass through its perforated bottom f1, in the direction of the arrows 7c', and fall in a shower upon the obstructions in F2, and the gas passing through the said chamber will thereby be carbonized to a Very high degree.

In lieu of the mixing and carbureting chamber F2, what is known in the art as a gas-mixer may be used, as the principal object of this chamber is to thoroughly mix the air or-gas with the hydrocarbon or the carbonizing vapors, and render the gas produced of a homogeneous character; or neither the mixing and carbureting chamber F, nor any other mixer, need be used under certain circumstances, for there are cases where the rotary carbonizer A will be all that will be required, and the regulating-valve G1 may be so adjusted as to produce a sufficiently homogeneous gas for all necessary uses. Neither will it be always necessary to send the gas carbonized in this machine to a fixing-retort, as the carbureted gaspassing this machine in certain localities may be used as a mechanical mixture. It may be found, also, that in certain localities it will be necessary to heat, to a moderate degree, the carbonizer, or the air or gas sent into it; and, when such is required, the carbonizer may be heated by means of a steam jacket, or by steam-pipes, or the air or gas may ble heated outside of the carbureter in any desirable manner. Having described my invention, I claim- 1. The process of carbureting air or gas,

which consists of passing the air or gas through a shower of liquid hydrocarbon, and continuing the shower and the operation by reversing centrically with the carbureter A, substantially, as and for the purposes set forth.

4C. The combination and arrangement of the carbureter A and the dripping and mixing chambers F1 F2, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The auxiliary carbonization and mixing apparatus, consisting of the chambers F2 F3,

in combination with the rotary carbonizer A, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

E. HALL COVEL.

Witnesses:

S. S. NORTON,

A. B. HUTcHINs. 

